Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| تَرَكَ | taraka |
| غَادَرَ | ḡādara |
| اِنْصَرَفَ | inṣarafa |
The verb 'to leave' has different nuances in Arabic. Use تَرَكَ when you leave an object or a person behind, or when you mean to 'abandon' or 'forsake' something in a more emotional or permanent sense. Use غَادَرَ to focus specifically on the act of departing from a location, such as a city or a building. Use اِنْصَرَفَ to describe leaving a formal setting, a meeting or a social gathering.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on what is being left: تَرَكَ is used for leaving something behind, while غَادَرَ is used for the act of departing a place. اِنْصَرَفَ is specifically often used for leaving a gathering or a meeting.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms تَرَكَ, غَادَرَ and اِنْصَرَفَ are all third-person masculine singular past tense forms, meaning they translate to 'he left' or 'he departed'.
How do you pronounce it?
taraka
Did you know?
- In some formal settings, instead of saying 'I am leaving', people use the phrase 'istâ'dhana', which literally means 'I seek permission' to depart.
- In many Arabic dialects, the word for 'leave' (to depart) is often replaced by the word 'masha' (walked), essentially saying 'he walked away' to mean 'he left'.
- The word تَرَكَ is the root of the Arabic word for 'inheritance' تَرِكَة, as it refers to the things a person leaves behind after they pass away.
Examples in context
- أرجو المغادرة الآن.Please leave now.
- سأطلب منه الانصراف.I will ask him to leave.
- أنا مش متحملك، يا راجل. اطلع من هنا.I can't stand you, man. Get out of here.
Example conversation
Sarah and Yousef are talking about a meeting.
- سارة Saraهل تَرَكَ المديرُ الاجتماعَ؟hal taraka al-mudiru al-ijtima'a?Did the manager leave the meeting?
- يوسف Youssefنعم، تَرَكَ المكتبَ منذ قليل.na'am, taraka al-maktaba mundhu qalil.Yes, he left the office a short while ago.
- سارة Saraهل تَرَكَ لنا أي ملاحظات؟hal taraka lana ayya mulahazat?Did he leave any notes for us?
- يوسف Youssefلا، لم يترك شيئاً.la, lam yataruk shay'an.No, he didn't leave anything.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “leave” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
